A 38-year-old Madibe-Makgabane resident, Dimakatso Lesedi, spoke out about the initiative.

“This initiative is going nowhere. The government isn’t changing our situation for the better. This is another form of oppression,” she said.

Photos of the donkey carts were shared on social media and tweeps’ opinions mirrored those of Lesedi.

“@NWPGCommSafety is this a joke? You guys are shameless. How can you give people donkey carts at Madibe? The world is going for digital lona le ganella mo analog”, Lesedi Malekutu wrote on Twitter.

However, Briefly.co.za learned the department hit back, adding the carts were a means of non-motorised transport, mobility and accessibility to rural areas.

“Such non-motorised transport is necessary because taxis and buses refuse to enter many rural areas because of the roads and so they drop people far from their homes”, the department said.

One tweep felt with the petrol prices being at an all-time high, more South Africans should consider donkey carts.

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